Thursday, May 30, 2013

GAZA CITY
(Ma'an) -- Israeli forces briefly entered the Gaza Strip overnight
Wednesday, damaging land near the border, as Israel's navy fired at the
coast, setting fire to farm land.

Five military bulldozers
entered the southern Gaza Strip near al-Qarara village east of Khan
Younis as army planes hovered above. The bulldozers dug up agricultural
fields near the border, damaging the crops, before withdrawing, a Ma'an
correspondent said.

Meanwhile, Israel's navy opened fire at
farmland in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, causing a fire to
break out, a Ma'an reporter said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Al Mezan23-5-2013On Thursday, 23rd
May 2013, at approximately 6:00 am, Israeli tanks accompanied by
armored bulldozers moved inside Al Qarara town, east of Khan Younis
district. The Israeli tanks moved from al Seraige gate westward towards
the east of Abbasan al Kabira town. The Israeli incursion lasted for
several hours before they withdrew inside the separation fence.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Following
disengagement from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Israel unilaterally and
illegally established a so-called “buffer zone”, an area prohibited to
Palestinians along the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip. The precise area
designated by Israel as a “buffer zone” is not clear and this Israeli policy is
typically enforced with live fire. The establishment of the ‘buffer zone’ is
illegal under both Israeli and international law.

Preventing
Palestinians from accessing their lands and fishing areas violates numerous
provisions of international human rights law, including the right to work, the
right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to the highest
attainable standard of health. Enforcing the “buffer zone” through the use of
live fire often results in, inter alia,
the direct targeting of civilians and/or indiscriminate attacks, both of which
constitute war crimes.

Following the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian armed groups was brokered by the Egyptian government, which included terms related to access to land and sea. In an online statement on 25 February 2013, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) declared that fishermen could now access the sea up to six nautical miles offshore, and that farmers could now access lands in the border area up to 100m from the border fence. However, both references have since been removed from the statement. Then, on 21 March 2013, the Israeli forces’ spokesperson announced re-reducing the fishing area allowed for Palestinian fishermen from 6 nautical miles to 3 nautical miles.

Nonetheless, the COGAT Monthly Report for November 2012 still states: “Following operation "Pillar of Defense" (November 14-21), a ceasefire was agreed upon; as a part of it and [sic] the fishing area in Gaza was increased from 3 miles to 6.” Regarding access to land, in correspondence with Gisha, on 11 March 2013, an Israeli spokesperson declared that “the residents of Gaza are required not to approach within 300m of the security fence”. These conflicting messages about the parameters of the “buffer zone”, particularly on land, have resulted in an increase of risk for the safety of civilians and their property in the border areas.

Dimensions

On land,
inside Palestinian territory

Distance from
the border fence, up to which access is permitted:

·Second Intifada (2000): 150 metres

·According to Israel (2010) : 300 metres

·22 November 2012: unclear parameters

·25 February 2013: 100 metres

·11 March 2013: 300 metres

In reality,
attacks against civilians take place anywhere up to approximately 1.5
kilometres inside the border fence. This constitutes approximately 17% of the
total territory of the Gaza Strip.

At sea,
off the coast of the Gaza Strip

Distance from
the shore, up to which access is permitted:

·Oslo Accords (1994): 20 nautical miles (nm)

·Bertini Commitment (2002): 12 nm

·October 2006: 6 nm

·End of 2007 : 3 nm

·22 November 2012: 6 nm

In
addition, access is consistently denied in the following areas:

·1.5 nm in the north along the maritime boundary
with Israel

·1 nm in the south along the maritime boundary
with Egypt

Impact

On land

·Approximately 27,000 dunums, 35% of the Gaza
Strip's agricultural land, can only be accessed under high personal risk,
as Israeli attacks may result in injury or death of civilians.

·95% of the restricted area is arable land.

·After the evacuation of settlements (2005) and ‘Operation
Cast Lead’ (2008-2009), the majority of Palestinian families living in the
border areas abandoned their land and homes.

At sea

·Palestinians are completely prevented from accessing
85% of the Palestinian maritime areas recognised in the 1994 Gaza
Jericho Agreement.

·Approximately 3,700 fishermen work under high
personal risk every day at sea.

·Approximately 8,200 persons work in the fishing
industry.

·Approximately 65,000 persons, including
individuals who work in the fishing industry and their dependents, are
affected by the “buffer zone” restrictions at sea.

·The area near the coast is markedly over-fished.

Attacks

April 2013

Attacks

Total

“Buffer zone”
on land

“Buffer
zone” at sea

Shelling

2

1

1

Shooting

31

14

17

Incursions

7

7

0*

Land levelling

1

1

0

Detention incidents

3

3

0

Total incidents

45

27

18

* These numbers do
not represent all the incursions into Palestinian waters by Israeli naval
forces, only the reported incidents. More often, the reported incidents involve
shooting, injury and/or killing.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Al Mezan8-5-2013On Wednesday 8nd May
2013, at approximately 7:00 am, IOF accompanied by twelve military
bulldozers and under air cover moved for a distance of about 200-300
meters westwards of the separation fence starting from al Qubtaniyya
border area, northeast of Jabaliya, Westreneast Beit Hanoun. As a
result, farmers, fearing for their lives, were forced to abandon their
work and leave their farms. Bulldozers level several lands before they
withdrew from the area at approximately 12:00 pm. No causalities or
injuries were reported.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Al Mezan5-5-2013On Sunday 5th
May 2013, at approximately 7:40 am, IOF positioned at watchtowers at
the eastern separation fence opened fire towards a number of rubble
collectors who were at Bouret Abu Samra at a distance of about 250
meters, north of Beit Lahyia. The fire shooting lasted for almost three
hours, and no causalities or injuries were reported. According to Al
Mezan’s field investigations, rubble and scrap collectors move closer to
the separation fence in order to collect greater amount of rubble to be
recycled and sold again. This is the main source of income for rubble
collectors due to severe economic situation.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Al Mezan3-5-2013On Friday 3rd
May 2013, at approximately 5:00 pm, IOF positioned at watchtowers near
the eastern separation fence opened sporadic fire at a number of
civilians who were picnicking at a distance of 20-400 meters east of
al-Shuhada’ al-Islamiyia Cemetery, east of Jabalyia. According to Al
Mezan field investigations, the shooting lasted for more than an hour,
but no causalities or injuries were reported.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Al Mezan2-5-2013On Thursday, 2nd May 2013, at approximately 5:00 am, Israeli
IOF accompanied by eight armored bulldozers moved about 200-300 meters
from Erez into the Domra area, north east of Beit Hanoun. The bulldozers
then moved westward under intermittent firing and air cover. Farmers
had to leave their lands fearing for their lives as the bulldozers razed
their fields. The bulldozers are still located in the area until this
moment. No causalities or injuries were reported.

Al Mezan2-5-2013At approximately 8:00 on Thursday 2nd May 2013, Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) positioned at the watchtowers in the eastern
separation fence, opened heavy fire on Palestinian farmers. The farmers
were forced to abandon their work and withdraw from the area fearing for
their lives. No injuries were reported.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered a border area in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, locals said.

Witnesses
told Ma'an that seven Israeli military vehicles entered 200 meters into
a border area near Khan Younis and destroyed agricultural land,
including trees.

Border incursions are frequently reported by local residents.

Tensions
are high in the Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday
which killed Haitham al-Mishal, 25, in Gaza City. A medical official in
Gaza said al-Mishal was a security guard at al-Shifa hospital, while
Israel reported that he was a "a global Jihad-affiliated terrorist."

The al-Ansar Brigades says it fired five rockets at Israeli targets on Tuesday in response to the killing.

IOF incursion in southern Gaza

[
01/05/2013 - 12:16 PM ]

KHAN YOUNIS, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation
forces (IOF) in armored vehicles escorted eight military bulldozers
that advanced into eastern Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, at dawn
Wednesday.Local sources told the PIC reporter that
IOF troops advanced 150 meters and reached the outskirts of Khuza’a town
and bulldozed and combed the area.They said that the bulldozing reached villages east of Khan Younis city amidst heavy shooting at citizens’ houses and lands.Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation
authorities decided to partially open the Karm Abu Salem terminal, the
sole commercial crossing for Gaza, on Wednesday after five days of
closure.Raed Fattuh, the head of the committee for
the entry of goods into Gaza, said in a press statement that the partial
opening of the crossing would allow entry of around 190 trucks loaded
with foodstuffs, fodder, and international aid.He said that limited quantities of cooking gas would be also allowed today.

About this blog

This is a blog about Gaza farmers, workers and all the civilian population living in Gaza Strip rural communities along the Green Line, suffering from daily Israeli attacks and resisting the implementation of a so called "buffer zone" by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

Note: this blog is focusing on Israeli attacks on civilians inside or around the so called "buffer zone". Attacks on resistance fighters, or attacks, usually airstrikes on civilians further inside the Gaza Strip, or along the Egypt border (apart from the eastern areas such as Al Shoka or the airport area) are usually not mentioned. For the attacks of the Israeli Navy see http://fishingunderfire.blogspot.com/